


Tendershipping Week 2020

by Mainstream_Deviant



Series: Tendershipping Week [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Drabbles, M/M, see chapters for additional tags, tendershippingweek2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25224406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mainstream_Deviant/pseuds/Mainstream_Deviant
Summary: This is a collection of standalone bite-sized drabbles/ficlets for (most of) Tendershipping Week 2020! Fic length and style varies from fic to fic - check the chapter notes for info on each day's entry.Includes:Day 1 - RingDay 2 - Red String of FateDay 3 - JewelsDay 4 - Thief(Day 5 posted separately)Day 6 - ScarsDay 7 – Reunion
Relationships: Bakura Ryou/Thief King Bakura, Bakura Ryou/Yami Bakura, Tendershipping - Relationship, gemshipping - Relationship
Series: Tendershipping Week [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1831018
Comments: 46
Kudos: 33
Collections: Tendershipping Week 2020





	1. Day 1 - Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Length: itty bitty - 300ish  
> Ship: dealer's choice ;) [aka pick your favourite Bakura look; it doesn't really matter]  
> Other tags: post-cannon, established relationship

“Whatcha doing, Ry?”

Rou glanced up from his paper. “Writing to Amane.” 

“Oh, yeah. Right.” The thief made a show of sashaying very slowly into the room. “Am I featured this time?”

Ryou laughed and covered the page with his arms. “Maaaaaybe?”

As soon as the letter was properly covered, Bakura hurried his steps wrapped his arms around Ryou’s shoulders from behind. “Only good things, I hope.”

“Debateable.”

“Brat.” Bakura took the opportunity to smack a kiss to Ryou’s cheek before letting go. “I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be in the other room.” He paused at the doorway, then turned around to wink and shoot Ryou with his finger guns. “Keep it PG.”

“’Kura!!” Ryou’s laughter echoed down the hallway as the thief retreated.

He wandered down the hall. Paused idly in the kitchen, and got halfway through assembling what they’d need for tea. Ran his fingers along the shelves of Monster World figurines in the living room as he meandered by. And hesitated at the door to the den for only a moment before giving in to the inevitable.

He always ended up in the den.

He slunk to the corner of the room and flopped himself on the ground. The box was stored in the dusty alcove under the spare bed, but the box itself was clean and shiny from frequent handling. He pulled it out reverently and opened the lid. The gold inside was dull, its surface smooth and untarnished. He reached out with careful fingers to lift the ring from its bedding, and found it cool and familiar under his fingertips as always. He settled down, resting it quietly on his lap. The silence stretched out for several long minutes while he idly traced a thumb along its curves. Then, he let out a long, slow breath of air and leaned forward.

“Hi everyone.” He smiled quietly to himself. “So, I’m doing ok…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Tendershipping Week! I love to chat with my readers, say hi if you like!
> 
> [ Tumblr ](https://mainstream-deviant.tumblr.com/)


	2. Day 2 - Red String of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Length: itty bitty (<300)  
> Ship: pre-ship  
> Other tags: Pre-cannon, pre-relationship of any kind, first meeting, Bakura POV, I wasn't actually going to write anything for Day 2 but then by brain spat this out so enjoy lol

Many had tried. All had failed. The ring was no shiny trinket, and he delighted in the sheer volume of arrogant fools that thought themselves worthy of possessing it. Fools with nothing but greed for wealth in their hearts, wanting a piece of golden riches. Fools with nothing but greed for power in their hearts, wanting to control the legend of the items. Idiotic archaeologists who thought his destiny was to rot for eternity behind plated glass for gawking masses with no idea what they were gawking at. 

Their screams of despair were a pleasant break from the haze of waiting in the shadows. 

And here was another victim, moments from his own unpleasant surprise. A child this time. Pity. But foolishness starts young in some, and who is he to complain about another moment’s entertainment? The spirit waited for the first brush of fingers on the gold. 

_Oh._

_Oh, I see._

This one had potential. Curiosity, fierce determination, an unshakable spirit… and remarkably pure-hearted, for a poor soul destined to come across his ring. He reached out with the power of the shadows and gave the little soul a poke. It poked right back. 

_How delightful._

Perhaps this one would work. He reached out and swamped the poor little soul with the shadows, shoving it down and out of the way despite its last-ditch attempts to thwart him. He settled in to the body, flexing the fingers and twisting the neck back and forth experimentally. He blinked open the eyes, and saw the world in clear sharp focus for the first time in as long as he could remember. 

_Yes._

_This is the one._

Many fools had tried to bond with the ring and failed, but _this_ host was important to him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Tumblr ](https://mainstream-deviant.tumblr.com/)


	3. Day 3 - Jewels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Length: ficlet - 650ish  
> Ship: gemshipping  
> Other tags: post-cannon, established relationship, fluff

Bakura twirled the metallic ring around his finger, tracing his thumb over the clunky resin jewel embedded in the band. This one was his favourite. Ryou had done a remarkable job of getting the resin to sparkle convincingly. 

But then his eyes caught sight of a bracelet sitting on the dresser, made of modelling clay and bejewelled with a wealth of glittering rhinestones. As he put it on, he decided maybe this one was actually best. The rhinestones had been placed with such care, after all. 

Or wait, there was that one necklace with the tiny, carefully-researched hieroglyphic puns etched into the pendant. That one had to be a solid contender for the top spot. 

Whatever. 

He grabbed the necklace, added it to his outfit, and had a look in the mirror. Once he decided he was decked out enough to be presentable, he strutted out to the kitchen, where Ryou was waiting with a cup of coffee and a kiss. Ryou eyed the glittery bracelet. 

“You don’t have to keep wearing those things, you know. We’ve got enough proper jewellery for you to wear by now.”

Bakura clutched the bracelet to his chest. “Never. These ones are the best I’ve got.”

Ryou smiled and shook his head. “If you say so.”

“I do. This bracelet is important to me.” He gave Ryou a meaningful look, as though he ever doubted for a second that Ryou would understand what he meant. 

“Sap.”

“Hey, you married me. Suffer.”

“I do. Every day.” Ryou leaned forward to press another kiss to his waiting lips and fiddled with the pendant around his neck. “The paint is chipped over here. I should probably repair it again. These weren’t really meant to be permanent accessories, you know…”

Bakura shrugged. The fact that they’d been thrown together in a pinch wasn’t going to stop him from adding a few to his outfit every single day until they fell apart completely. It was nice to be wearing jewellery with good memories attached, for once. 

The first bauble had appeared in the middle of a Monster World campaign, when their relationship was still shiny and new. His character had just successfully survived a horde of flesh-eating slug monsters, and there was a large chest waiting to be cracked open. As soon as he had, Ryou had beamed suspiciously brightly, even for him. 

“You discover 50 gold coins, a glowing blue stone, a few dusty old scrolls aaaand…” Ryou drew out the word as he fumbled with something, before triumphantly slapping his hand on the table. “A sparkling ring set with jewels.” He lifted his hand to reveal a carefully handcrafted ring.

Bakura let out a bark of laughter and picked it up. “Hey, this is pretty good. I didn’t know you made jewellery and shit, too.” He examined it, then slipped it onto a finger. “Not bad at all.”

Ryou looked exceptionally pleased with himself. “I’ve never actually made jewellery before. But I know you like to wear it, and it’s not like we can afford anything made of real gold right now, so I figured…”

Bakura cut him off with a kiss. “This is _awesome_.” He fiddled with the ring, switching fingers until he found the best fit. “Yep, I’m stealing this.”

“It was for you anyways, you realize that right?”

“Shhhh, don’t ruin my heist.”

Ryou snickered. “Yes, oh mighty Thief King.”

“That’s what I thought you said.”

From there, almost every time his gaze lingered on a bit of shine or sparkle in a shop window, Ryou would end up making the best recreation he could from whatever he had lying around his craft room. They were some of Bakura’s most prized pieces to this day, even if they didn’t sparkle as well as the “real” jewellery he’d eventually collected as they settled in to their lives. 

After all, the best treasures weren’t always made with gold. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Tumblr ](https://mainstream-deviant.tumblr.com/)


	4. Day 4 - Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Length: microscopic - 120 words  
> Ship: dealer's choice ;)  
> Other tags: dialogue only fic, banter, unprovoked theft of an innocent hoodie

“Stop. Stealing. My hoodies.”

“I would never.”

The silence lingered while calm eyes met challenging ones. 

“And you’re wearing… what, exactly?”

“Something warm.”

The challenging look sharpened. “And?”

“And it’s soft.”

The look softened into a kind of well-worn exasperation. “ _And_?”

“And it’s a lovely colour that brings out my eyes.”

“And it’s _mine._ ”

A show was made of examining soft fabric. “Nope, mine.”

“You need to leave me some hoodies to wear too, you know.”

Eyes lingered. “… are you sure?”

“ _Yes!_ I’m _cold!_ ”

Gazes locked. Neither backed down. The silence stretched out, and then – “I could help with that, you know.”

A blink. A considering look. “… deal.”

A pounce, and the apartment was filled with laughter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voting time! Who was the thief, and who was the poor soul missing their hoodie? ;)
> 
> [ Tumblr ](https://mainstream-deviant.tumblr.com/)


	5. Day 6 - Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Length: ficlet - 780ish, below the cut or here on A03  
> Ship: gemshipping  
> Other tags: post-cannon, established relationship, (totally sfw) dorky pillowtalk, fluff

“What about this one?”

“Hmm?” Bakura twisted around on the pillow to try to get a look the scar Ryou was tracing along the back of his left hip. “What, did you seriously find another one? Haven’t you gotten a good enough look yet?”

Ryou gave him a deadpan look. “When I can see _this_ bit, I’m usually otherwise occupied at the time.”

“Damn right you are.” Bakura’s smirk was devilish. “Alright, let’s see.” He twisted around further to try to catch a glimpse of the skin in question.

“You really are part cat, you know that? How to you even bend that way?”

Bakura flopped back down on the bed and pulled Ryou with him. “The better to please you, my dear.” Ryou laughed at his exaggerated wink. 

“Ok, but seriously, do you know the story of that one? It’s such a unique shape.”

“True. Well you see…” Ryou tucked into his side to listen. 

If all scars tell a story, Bakura’s body was an entire library. Ryou’s, thankfully, was only a collection of short stories. Bakura just wished fewer of them were horrors. He’d read – hell, he’d _written_ – most of them himself, but he’d done his absolute damndest not to add to the collection since he had been granted a new life. And now, after countless remorseful kisses, his lips now knew every indentation and rope of twisted flesh on Ryou even better than he knew his own. After all, his scars may be a library, but most of the pages were blank. Memories just aren’t designed to last thousands of years and a demonic possession or two. 

He’d regaled Ryou with the stories he could actually remember – the long, thin scar along his left ribs that came from getting too cheeky with the guards, the horrible knotted thing on his right foot that happened when he impaled himself on a sharp piece of metal and barely kept his foot after the ensuing infection… and even the one above his knee that happened when he pissed off the wrong camel, much to his mortification. The one on his cheek was linked to no fewer than fifteen wildly different stories, much to Ryou’s annoyance and his smug pride. 

But most of the rest – well, his guess was as good as Ryou’s. Didn’t stop him from trying, though. Anything was a game if you tried hard enough. 

“… and then the merchant’s son went and – ”

Ryou cut him off. “This one’s totally made up, isn’t it?”

Bakura flopped his head over to give Ryou his best attempt at an innocent look. “Of course n-” Ryou’s look spoke volumes. “- yeah, that one was BS. How’d you know?”

Ryou’s smirk was a lot more effective than his normally innocent appearance would have you believe, and it was endearing as hell. “It featured you getting along with someone. Unrealistic.”

“Hey!” Bakura dug his fingers into Ryou’s ribs, making him burst into laughter. “I could have charmed some merchant’s son if I wanted to.”

“S-s-sure you could have. Kura _stoooop_!” 

Bakura relented, and smacked a firm kiss to Ryou’s mouth as soon as he caught his breath. “Alright, smartass, how to _you_ think it happened?”

Ryou sat up to straddle him and grinned down. “Well, how it really went was…”

The fun of mysteries, of course, is trying to solve them. And since it wasn’t possible to actually solve most of the little riddles left of his body, they’d fallen into their little game of competing stories. Bakura always seemed to fare worse in Ryou’s versions, but the smile on his face and sparkle in his eyes as he put his best storytelling skills to use was worth it. Bakura lounged peacefully, watching his Ryou excitedly pull together one of his most ridiculous stories yet. 

“… and then the stray cat tried to maul your ass but missed.”

Bakura burst out laughing. “What the hell kind of story was that?!”

“A more realistic one! You pissing off a cat is a thousand times more believable than you charming another human being that fast.”

Bakura ginned and held up a fist. “Wanna bet?”

“Always. Bring it on.” Ryou held his hand out too, challenge ready. “One, two, three – SHOOT!” Bakura groaned in annoyance and flung his head dramatically back on the pillows while Ryou cheered. “Rock beats scissors! Ha!”

Bakura dragged Ryou down by the waist, smothering his laughter into his shoulder while he pressed a firm kiss to the crown of his head. “Fiiiine, keep your story. I’m still winning overall.”

“Uh-huh.” Ryou looked extremely self-satisfied for a moment, and then his grin took on an edge. “Wanna see if I can find another one?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Tumblr ](https://mainstream-deviant.tumblr.com/)


	6. Day 7 - Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Length: The "long one" - 1375ish  
> Ship: pre-gemshipping  
> Other Tags: afterlife, introspection (of a sort), TK pov, TK having Feels, Atem makes an appearance, Ryou being Ryou

The reeds were just two steps too far away for him to reach, like the afterimage of a vivid dream. He’d been trying to figure out how to clear up the image, to see who was there, for as long as he’d been here – a few seconds? A decade or two? It was a strange thing, to be both without body and without anchor. The first was his pathetic norm, but the latter left him feeling… floaty? Vague? Kind of… of whatever the fuck. It was weird. 

He’d planned on Ammit’s jaws or Zorc’s wrath, but not wherever this ‘halfway to the reeds’ was. How the hell he’d gotten here was anyone’s guess, but he was damn sure going to find a way out. In a minute – or maybe a millennia or two? He’d never been great with time, but he was even worse at bailing on a goal, so his escape was a given eventuality. 

He was considering whether he could use his robe for anything useful – or if it even had a use of any kind, or if it was really there or just something his confused mind had imposed on his surroundings in an effort to force it into some vague sort of normalcy – when suddenly there was a sound to the side of him. He hadn’t really noticed the lack of it until it appeared – strange, that. He turned – shifted awareness – cast out his Ka? – to investigate. 

Stupid fucking son-of-camel’s-ass Pharaoh. Of course the first clear thing he saw would be his stupid face. 

He glared, and tried to will some sort of blade into existence. He’d like to think the mists around him wobbled consideringly, but who the hell knows. Either way, the Pharaoh lifted his hands placatingly. 

“I don’t want to fight.” The Thief didn’t dignify that with an answer, and so he continued. “Or rather, the fight is long over. The Items have released their souls – yours and mine as well.” 

He quirked an eyebrow at that. “Explain.” 

The Pharaoh looked confused. It was a pleasing look. “I am not sure how else to do so – the spirits trapped within them are freed. Their purpose was served. I imagine they went to the reeds, but only the gods will know for sure.” The Thief King stared at him intensely, weighing the truth of the words as carefully as Anubis would weigh a feather to a heart. The Pharaoh, insufferable bastard that he was, offered him a comforting smile and nodded his head. 

Well fuck. He really didn’t have a reason to lie, did he? 

He imagined pain in his knees as he crumpled to the not-ground, and wondered why he would imagine that. Too damn used to pain, perhaps. He flinched horribly when the pharaoh laid a hand on his shoulder seconds-hours-days later, but he couldn’t shake him any more than he could avoid the rest of his words. “It’s alright. It’s through.” 

Oh son-of-a-bitch, he’d been sobbing. The tears snapped into focus as soon as he realized he should notice them. Shit. He pulled away again – successfully this time. He dragged slow air into his lungs, willing the rest of the tears away before he forced himself to an upright-ish sort of position and faced the Pharaoh – oh yeah, Atem, right – once more. 

“So fine. It’s done. Throw me to Ammit and be done with it.” 

The Ph- _Atem_ – had the audacity to smile. “No.” 

“What the fuck do you _mean_ n-” 

“I’ve negotiated us passage.” 

Bakura hoped his withering look was as clear to the pharaoh as Atem’s face was to him. “Passage.” 

“Yes. Back to the world of the living, to live and die properly.” 

“I don’t even _want_ \- ” Atem cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand. 

“Would you prefer to take your chances with Ammit as you are?” 

“That’s not your fucking choice!” 

Atem stared him down. “Perhaps not. But a pharaoh cares for his people, and sometimes that means making choices. And this one is already made. Come. Our partners await.” 

“Don’t you dare- ” But Atem had already snapped a hand around his wrist – and how did he move that fast, did he even move at all, what did that even matter anymore – and their surroundings shifted. 

The second it took for them to blink back out of wherever-the-fuck lasted longer than any he’d lived through before, and he filled it with a thousand thoughts. Where were they even going, why were they bothering to go there, what the hell kind of difference would this even make and _can he just let the story end already this is getting ridiculous –_

Wait, did he say partners? 

No. 

No, that was just unnecessarily cruel. What kind of noble-ass king sends a demon back to his victim? His thoughts wrenched violently back to streaming white hair and tenacious, horribly ill-advised curiosity and he imagined the area where his stomach would be sinking. 

Whether his own wretched soul deserved another shot at a so-called life was highly debateable, but Ryou damn sure didn’t deserve to be stuck with him for even another second. 

His host, who had shown him fear – but also kindness, and curiosity, and a strange and misplaced loyalty, or maybe it was just possessiveness, but either way it was dumb – who had helped him and hindered him and tried so desperately to _understand_ – his little landlord, who was too damn nice for his own good and too damn stubborn to know when to shove a bad thing aside, and who he absolutely should have partnered with more than he ever had, what a wasted opportunity _that_ was, who loved his friends so fiercely that if Bakura had made even a flicker of effort to be counted among them, he’d probably have won this disaster of a shadow game… and who, if he had any sense left after the ring had done with him, would kill him on sight. 

Well, it looked like his next life would be short one. 

And just like that, it arrived. 

He blinked in the new reality – everything was too sharp, too clear after the haze of wherever-it-was – and vaguely registered that his knees did, indeed, hurt like hell where they’d landed on the hard stone. He rubbed a hand along them, and saw a familiar-foreign hand perform the action. Huh. 

There was a ruckus nearby, and he turned to see a whole group of them crowding excitedly around Atem, exclaiming over his sudden appearance. Bakura, it seemed, had been missed in the shadows to the side. All the better. Maybe if he moved quickly enough, he wouldn’t have to – 

“Um, hello.” 

Bakura froze, eyes still on the pharaoh’s group and noticing too late that a flicker of white hair didn’t feature in the tableau. He turned his head and met the wide-eyed stare of his former host. He couldn’t read the expression, though he wasn’t sure if that was because it was Ryou, or because it had been too long since he bothered to try to read one. He sighed and hunched in on himself. Here it was. If there was any logic in this world, he’d be screamed at, and maybe beaten at least half to death in revenge for all the crap he’d put – 

“Are you OK?” 

Bakura’s gaze snapped up. Say what now? Ryou was clearly better at reading facial expressions, because he smiled gently and repeated himself. 

“Are you OK, now?” 

Bakura sat, still and shocked, for what was very definitely too many seconds under anything resembling normal circumstances. At least he could tell this time. Eventually, he gave a sharp nod of his head. 

Ryou smiled brightly. “Oh good, I worried.” 

Bakura stared at the outstretched hand that was presented. There was simply no good way to respond to this. What kind of madman would just push aside all the nonsense that – 

“Let’s go join the others and figure this out. I’m sure there’s a story to tell.” 

Well. 

Well then. 

Bakura sure the fuck didn’t know what this was, but as he took Ryou’s hand – soft, warm, scratchy little nails and _life_ – and let it help haul him to his feet, he did know he sure as hell wanted to find out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! For the first time, a complete set of little somethings for a ship theme week. Hope you enjoyed the ride!
> 
> [ Tumblr ](https://mainstream-deviant.tumblr.com/)


End file.
